New fire safety system debuts in Huntsville

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - The city of Huntsville has unveiled a first of its kind fire and safety measure.

Huntsville Fire & Rescue is launching a new safety access system in partnership with the Knox Co. It gets them to you faster than ever before.

The system has two parts. One is called the Electric Rapid Response System. It utilizes a secure electronic key vault that gives firefighters unique access to closed buildings. That means they won’t have to break down doors or windows because they’ll have a key.

The other part is the Fire Department Connection. This locking cap helps protect automatic sprinkler system connections from vandalism or debris. It protects fire department hookups, making sure water is available when firefighters need it.

“If we go out and there is a doubt, we can actually go in and make sure there is not a problem in the building without causing any damage to the building,” said Chief Howard “Mac" McFarlen.

“You can do these simple tweaks to the systems that you already have in place that allow the fire department themselves to be safer, for your tenants to be safer, and for your building structure to be safer,” said Anne O’Shey, a local business owner.